Standards of fluency by the end of year 2In age-appropriate books, the pupil will be able to read words accurately and fluently without overt sounding and blending, e.g. at over 90 words per minute and sound out most unfamiliar words accurately, without undue hesitation.

Reading and the Brain

We are not genetically engineered to be readers

...but the brain is self teaching with the physical structure of the brain altering with new learning.

Reading is one of the most complicated processes our brains perform

When we are reading three parts of the brain, at least, are being used:

ØOne part processes the sounds associated with the words, pictures, etc.

ØOne part processes the meaning of words, sentences, and whole text, relating this to what it already knows.

The Importance of Reading Aloud

It is essential in helping children become readers – and not just in the early stages, even when a child is able to read silently to themselves. This is because the area of the brain that deals with sound has to function as competently as the other two areas...it can only do so if it is familiarised with the sound of new words, sentences, and texts.

Reading aloud is essential in helping children become readers – and not just in the early stages, even when a child is able to read silently to themselves.The greater the variety of words, sentences and texts the brain has in its archive the better able it is to make sense of new texts... And the better you can read.

We relax when we listen to a text and we become used to the text. We observe punctuation signals and the rhythm of sentences. It can create emotions of happiness or sadness, frighten or amuse us, and can invigorate and refresh us. When the time comes to tackle the print, we feel prepared and replay the memory of what we heard and felt in our heads.

Reading to your child

The good news is that reading to your child is a free activity! It won't cost you a penny to entertain your child with a book.The Ipswich libraries are free to join and the school has plenty of books that can be borrowed.

A child is never too old to be read to. It is essential that as the children get older, they continue to develop their familiarisation of new words, sentence structures and texts.

Find time everyday. A child that is read to has twice as many words in their vocabulary as a child who isn't read to. Studies show that they tend to be less anxious at school and achieve significantly better than children who are not read to.

Remove phones and other distractions. Share the book in a way that the child can see the text and the pictures if there are any.

Let your child interrupt if they have questions about the text or pictures. You can do this too. It is important that children see the link between reading and thinking.